Session 47
"You have been aware that Zack was a Diemon this entire time, Lady Brooks?" Tristan asked in a low voice, frowning deeply.
"It's not as though I knew per se," Abby muttered evasively, avoiding Tristan's glare. "I had an idea, but…."
"How long have you suspected, then?" J.J. asked. He kept his tone even, not wanting Abby to retreat into herself.
"See… the thing is, it was hard to tell at first," Abby said softly. "He's been acting out of character ever since I released him from his enthrallment. Before I became a vampire… he was kind of a jock, honestly. More into sports and cars than the things I was into. I thought he was kind of cute, which is why I went after him in the first place, even though he didn't share any of my interests. It was only after I released him that we started hanging out as real friends."
"Alright, then what did tip you off?" J.J. pressed.
Abby exhaled as she tightened her grip around her arms. "About two weeks after he was freed, he started getting more into the literature that I'd shown him, and I was happy to talk about it with him. It was the first time I'd ever hung out with someone that shared my interests. He said that the life he'd been living up to that point had been kind of shallow, and the books I'd given him had shown him another part of life that he'd been missing out on. We never started dating – I never got the vibe that he was interested – but we began hanging out more and more as time went by. He was my closest friend outside our gaming group, and the only one who really seemed to like the dark literature I was into.
"I think things changed about two months ago. He started asking if there were any other books that I liked. Even when I gave him more suggestions, he always demanded more. He was never a jerk about it, but he was insistent. It's almost like he became obsessed. He'd… been having some family problems, and I asked him if that was the reason why he was suddenly so interested in the books I had shown him, but he just kept smiling and assuring me that had nothing to do with it. Even so, he also began getting really into world-building and art as well. It was almost all we would talk about."
"Were you getting tired of it?" J.J. asked.
"Honestly, yeah," Abby admitted. "It was wearing me out, constantly trying to find new outlets for him to explore. And it was never enough."
"And you didn't break off your friendship with him because you felt responsible for him, you said?" J.J. continued.
Abby nodded, hugging her arms even more tightly around herself. "I couldn't just tell him no. I mean… I felt really guilty that I'd brainwashed him, and I was the one who had drawn him into my worlds to being with. I couldn't just slam the door in his face and tell him that I'd had enough, could I?"
"Were you also lonely?" Tristan chimed in.
Abby's eyes widened, then she looked thoughtful. "I… suppose that even then, I still was, yeah," she said ruefully. "It was fun to have someone that I could be myself around. Sure, you guys are my friends too, but you're not really into the same 'dark' stuff that I am. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but it was nice hanging out with someone that was. And he never teased me about it. I've known guys like that, who would pretend to like the stuff I was into just to make fun of me for it. He was different."
J.J. tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his bicep while Tristan stared at her. "Then why did you not request our help sooner, Lady Brooks?" Tristan asked.
"I already told you that it was my problem to deal with!" Abby cried. "He's my friend! I wanted to do what I could to help him!"
"By feeding his obsession?" J.J. asked.
"By showing him that I was on his side!" Abby shot back. "Do you even remember what it was like to be a teenager?!"
"Considering that it was half a decade ago, yeah, I kinda do," J.J. pointed out, raising an eyebrow at her. Then he frowned. "Wait, how old do you think I am?"
"Then you should know how stubborn we can get!" Abby exclaimed, ignoring his question. "I'm aware I do it, too – if someone tells me to do something, it makes me not want to do it even more! So, yeah, if I told Zack that he should get help, do you think he'd listen to me? No! He'd shut me out completely! That'd be way worse than just giving him some more books to read!"
"Do you truly believe that, Lady Brooks?" Tristan chimed in.
"If he shut me out, I wouldn't know where he was! As long as I could keep tabs on him, maybe I could steer him away from using his D-former, or becoming a Diemon! And for a while, I did!" Abby cried.
"Alright. But you said you wanted to help him because you were his friend," J.J. interjected. "By that logic, friends should go out of their way to help each other, right? So… what are we not friends anymore?"
Abby closed her mouth, looking away sheepishly as her hair fell into her face again. "It's not that… and it's not like I don't consider you guys my friends, so please don't think that…." She sighed, looking up again. "Look… you two have enough on your plate already. Not only was this my problem, but I thought that if I didn't bring this up to you, it would be one less thing for you to worry about. Especially if I managed to solve it myself."
"Yet now it would seem that the situation is worse, would it not?" Tristan countered.
Abby grimaced and looked down again. J.J. stepped a bit closer, putting his hands on her shoulders and staring at her until she met his gaze.
"I understand your reasoning, Abby," J.J. said softly. "Honestly. It's the same reason that I always talk to Diemons myself, instead of just stabbing them. Your heart was in the right place, and I understand that you wanted to help your friend. It's the way you handled it that's the problem. You should have come to us. It's Tristan and my job to take care of Diemons, you know."
"You were forced into it…." Abby muttered.
"At first. But I've embraced it since then," J.J. shot back. "Don't change the subject. I'm not upset with you, Abby, but this time, you made the wrong decision."
Abby sighed, looking away. "I know," she murmured. Then she looked back towards him, gazing at him out of the corner of her eye. "So… what are we going to do about it?"
"For starters? You can help us find him," J.J. said.
Abby frowned deeply. "Why would you need my help? Doesn't your book track Diemons?"
"It could, if I had gotten a chance to slash him. But I didn't," J.J. said. He held up his diary, waving it slightly. "This is useless right now. So I'd like to rely on something just as good." He pocketed his diary again and folded his arms over his chest. "You know the city's underground better than anyone else. More importantly, you know Zack. Given your history together, do you have an idea about where he'd like to hang out?"
Abby looked away thoughtfully, frowning deeply as she crossed her arms. "Give me… a little time to think about it," she murmured.
"Of course," J.J. smiled.
"I shall accompany you," Tristan grunted, starting to push himself out of bed.
J.J. shot him a stern look, shaking his head. "No, you won't," he growled. "You don't get to yell at me for not resting and then jump out of bed while your arm is still sliced up."
"I am not suffering from a virulent poison, page. I have merely sustained a flesh wound," Tristan insisted.
"Uh-huh. There's a movie about an obstinate black knight that said the same thing and wound up missing all his limbs," J.J. shot back.
"Truly? Where have you heard this legend?" Tristan asked, momentarily distracted.
J.J. sighed and waved the question away. "Don't worry about it. Point is, you need to stay here and rest up."
"Page, you are committing the same crime that Abby is," Tristan insisted. "You are refusing help when it is not only offered, but required. Tell me, do you believe you can face Sir Agnar on your own?"
"Do you think you can take him with one arm?" J.J. shot back.
"I can, because I must," Tristan grunted, pushing himself off the bed and defiantly planting his feet on the floor.
J.J. stared at him, then walked over and put his hand on Tristan's left forearm. Without warning, he pushed against his arm. While Tristan was far stronger than him, the movement was unexpected, and he was able to force Tristan's arm back. Tristan's eyes widened with pain, and while he managed to keep from crying out, J.J. heard him inhale sharply.
"And that was just me pushing against you," he pointed out. "What're you going to do when Agnar starts slamming down on you with his greatsword? Do you really think you'll be able to resist it? Plus, what're you going to do if that injury gets worse?"
"Page, this is not negotiable," Tristan snarled. "I am not in dire condition. I have fought with worse wounds. As have you. More importantly, you will require my assistance to face Agnar. If naught else, I can serve as a distraction."
"Or a hindrance," J.J. muttered. He sighed, putting his palm to his forehead, before nodding reluctantly. "Alright, fine. Not like I could stop you anyways. I suppose warfare is your world, after all."
Abby suddenly snapped her fingers, her eyes shining brightly. "That's it!" she exclaimed.
J.J. and Tristan turned to stare at her. "Sorry?" J.J. asked.
"I know where we can find Zack. He was going on about how he wanted to make his own world, right? What better way to inspire him than to take him to a completely different world? Or, more specifically, the best example of day-to-day life in that world?"
J.J. chewed his cheek thoughtfully, and then his eyes lit up as he realized what she was getting at. "You mean the city section of Almencia?" he asked.
"Bingo. I can take you down there," Abby said, beaming.
J.J. hesitated, looking away uneasily. "I mean… if that's where he is, we know the way, but-"
"You're not talking me out of this," Abby interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "You wouldn't tell Gwen she couldn't go, would you?"
"One, I can't tell Gwen not to do anything," J.J. pointed out, smirking slightly. "Two, Gwen is a thousand-year-old alchemical construct with her own defenses. You're a skinny teenage girl with no combat training."
"You said yourself that I know the underground better than anyone," Abby pointed out. "And you're the one who always tries to talk Diemons down first, right? Do you really think you understand Zack better than I do?"
J.J. narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not talking him out of this," he said firmly. "Yeah, I invited you to show us the way, but I'm not putting you in any more danger than you need to be."
"But-!" Abby protested.
"No buts!" J.J. snapped, cutting her off. "Yeah, I try to talk Diemons down, but I can still use a sword if something goes wrong. If you try and fail, I can't guarantee your safety, and I'm not going to have your blood on my hands."
"…Fine. But I'm still coming with you," Abby said. "If you don't take me, I'll just make my way into the underground myself, without you two escorting me, if I have to. Do you want that on your conscience?"
J.J. glared at her, then sighed deeply, putting his thumb and forefinger over his eyes and rubbing them. "This is gonna be one of those days where I'm the only one with sense," he muttered to himself. He pulled his hand away, flicking it in a gesture of resignation. "Fine. But we need to hurry." He glanced over his shoulder at his partner. "Tristan are you ready to-" He stopped short, however, when he saw that Tristan was already dressed. "-go?"
"I have been prepared to depart since before this conversation began," Tristan announced. He glanced towards Abby, who shot him a smug grin in return. "Come, Lady Brooks. It would seem the page wishes to tarry, questioning what might go wrong, instead of taking action. Let us leave him to his inaction, if that is his preference."
"I swear, right now, I'm half-tempted to find my own way into the ruins so I don't have to deal with you two," J.J. muttered irritably, his shoulders slumped with resignation as he followed them out of the hospital room.
Ten minutes later, the trio were driving down the highway towards entrance that Abby suspected was nearest to where Zack was. Her presumption about his location seemed to be correct – as they drove deeper into the city, the crowd of shades became thicker. Their features were ghostly and somewhat indistinct, but they all seemed bemused by their surroundings, and appeared to be pleading with the people around them to talk to them, to answer their questions. The few pedestrians still on the streets, however, skirted around them uncomfortably, leaving the shades mouthing soundlessly at the passersby. As they drove, J.J. glanced up and saw families peering warily out of their windows, watching the shades in horrified fascination, but refusing to leave the safety of their homes. Wisely, too, J.J. thought grimly as he revved his engine and picked up the pace.
Moments later, they pulled up to the entrance to a sewer. The grate was still shut, but as J.J. watched, an old woman pulled herself through the bars, clawing her way to the surface. Her eyes widened as she saw the trio standing over her, and she reached towards them helplessly, silently speaking to them. J.J. quickly took a step back, avoiding her touch, and a look of defeat crossed her face. Soundlessly, she drifted past him, despondently staring around at the alien city.
"Well, this is grim," J.J. said softly.
"We cannot pass so long as these beings continue to exit the sewers," Tristan sighed, glancing over at J.J., who met his gaze.
"You're saying we'll have to go through them?" J.J. asked. "Are you going to be alright with that?"
"While I still do not relish it, if our progress is hindered by the shades, we must remove them," Tristan sighed. "I should help-"
"You said that the only weapon you have that's effective against them is your crossbow, and you can only use one hand right now," J.J. interrupted, slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out his diary. "Besides… it'd be cruel to make you fight Almencian ghosts. I'll take care of it."
"You… have my thanks, page," Tristan said slowly.
J.J. nodded, flipping his diary to his stats page, and holding the book up to his cheek. "Henshin!" he said, loudly enough to summon his Driver, though he didn't shout the way he normally did. Even if there were only a few people on the streets, there was no point in drawing more attention than necessary.
His Driver appeared around his waist, and he snapped his book shut, then slotted it into the belt buckle and gave his amber D-former a spin. "Adventure: Begin!" his Driver shouted, and an amber die appeared around him, spinning rapidly as trumpets blared. Moments later, he was clad in his leather armor, at which point he held out his hand, and his quill flew into his palm.
As his transformation finished, a burly man climbed out of the grate and began drifting towards J.J., his arms outstretched. J.J. quickly put his fingers on his red and black D-formers, giving them a quick spin.
"Reroll! Class: Paladin!" his Driver shouted, and a red and black die appeared around him, coalescing into a single silver die that spun rapidly. The shade walked into the spinning die and evaporated in a cloud of smoke as a pipe organ played and J.J.'s leather armor hardened into a suit of chainmail, over which a light grey tabard fluttered. When the transformation stopped, J.J. grimaced, clutching his halberd tightly as he stared at the spot where the ghost had been moments before.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, then turned to glance over his shoulder at Tristan and Abby. "This tunnel is one way, a straight shot, right?" he asked Abby.
"More or less. There are a few twists and turns, but it's not like we're walking into an open area or anything," Abby nodded.
"Good. Both of you, stay behind me and keep close," J.J. said, lowering his halberd. He leaned down and pried the grate off the sewer before slipping down, with Tristan and Abby following at his heels.
Once in the sewer, a grim determination settled over J.J., and his halberd began shining with a silvery white light. The glow illuminated the walls like a flashlight, and J.J. began cautiously making his way down the path running alongside the sewage line. Abby gazed down at the flowing water and shook her head.
"Why did I think hanging out down here was cool?" she muttered to herself.
"A dark, dank setting?" J.J. piped up. "Come on, you can't tell me you weren't loving the ambiance at least. Though I can't fathom how you could stand the smell."
Abby glowered at him until he held up a hand. Two shades were making their way out of a hole in the sewers, and as they saw J.J. approaching, they sagged with relief. They began hurrying towards him, which made J.J.'s stomach sink as he girded himself for what he had to do next.
Silently, he stepped in and horizontally slashed through them with his halberd. The glowing blade cut through their ethereal forms, and they vanished without so much as a scream. J.J. winced, glancing over his shoulder at Tristan with a deep sigh.
"I really don't feel like much of a hero right now," he muttered. "Even if these things are just illusions, everything in me is screaming not to do that."
"Your empathy does you credit, page," Tristan replied, nodding. "It is heartening to see that you are not numb to how grim your task is."
J.J. silently turned back around without responding. The trio pressed deeper into the sewers, with J.J. cutting through one more figure, before they reached a hole that led deeper underground. Abby motioned for J.J. to go ahead, and he nodded and slowly made his way down the path, his companions remaining close behind him. The path slowly evened out as they delved deeper, and the earthen path gave way to stone as they walked. Finally, they emerged into a familiar cavern, though through an entrance that J.J. was unfamiliar with. Even though J.J. recognized their surroundings, they had changed significantly compared to when he had last set foot in them.
The streets running along Tristan's town, once deserted, were now crowded with Almencian shades wandering along the broken cobblestone streets. Some appeared unperturbed by their surroundings – they were milling about easily, chatting to passerby, and a few were loitering outside of shops, laughing with other shades acting as shopkeepers, even though there was nothing to sell. Others, however, seemed to have a greater sense of clarity about where they were. They were nervously avoiding their fellow ghosts, trying desperately to talk to each other, or searching for exits. J.J. realized that it was the shades who had more awareness about their situation that had found their way to the surface, possibly driven by curiosity, panic, or a sense of loss.
"What farce is this?" Tristan whispered behind him. J.J. glanced over his shoulder to see the knight's eyes wide with fury. "Even if these are mere illusions, this is despicable. Why create a shadow of the glory that was once Almencia?"
"Knowing Agnar, are you really surprised?" J.J. pointed out, though he kept his voice low, trying to emphasize that he wasn't trying to antagonize Tristan. "He's been desperate to recreate Almencia, after all. Seems like this is his latest attempt."
"Let us find him swiftly, then," Tristan hissed. "I wish to confront him while my anger is dulling the pain of my wound."
The three quietly wove their way through the streets, avoiding the spirits while they could. J.J. kept his halberd in front of him to ward off the ghosts, though he wasn't actively swinging it around. Since the shades were reacting much like regular people would, he didn't want to antagonize them if he could avoid it. Even though they hadn't yet put up much of a fight, if an entire city of shades decided to swarm them, he would be hard-pressed to fend them off.
Fortunately, the shadows tended to avoid them and let them pass without a fight. Thus, they were able to make swift progress around the city. However, without a clear direction, they were left wandering aimlessly through the streets, and there was still no sign of Agnar or Zack.
"This is ridiculous," Abby said irritably several minutes later as they rested next to Tristan's father's forge. The flames were lit, but no one was using the smithy. A few of the shades milling about seemed to recognize Tristan, and they waved as they passed by, though when they received no response from Tristan other than a stony glare, they hurried along their way. "If only we could talk to one of them and ask them where Zack is."
"Well… you're the one who said you knew where you could find him," J.J. pointed out. "And you know this city, right?"
"We've been down here a couple of times, yeah," Abby nodded. "As for where he could be… I do have one idea we haven't tried yet."
Abby motioned for the pair to follow her, and she led the way down a narrow pathway towards a back part of the cavern that J.J. was unfamiliar with. As they walked, a large building that J.J. hadn't seen before came into view. It had Romanesque pillars in the front of the building, but the rest was constructed in a style reminiscent of early medieval architecture. It was a long, heavy building with an ornate marble façade decorated with scenes that J.J. vaguely recognized as tales from Greco-Roman mythology – for instance, he thought that he saw a picture of Hades abducting Persephone. Out front was a broken statue of a robed, one-winged angel with his hands clasped together in prayer.
"The Mausoleum," Tristan said softly. J.J. glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"You're familiar with this?" J.J. asked.
Tristan nodded faintly. "Unlike your society, which favors burial or cremation, Almencians preferred to keep their dead in repose, in deep catacombs and vaults. It was believed that by keeping them above ground, we could commune with our ancestors more easily."
"Oh… right, there're also the catacombs beneath Gwen's mansion," J.J. commented.
"Precisely. The Mausoleum was built to serve as a gateway to the Necropolis, where we stored our dead. The first level had only few tombs, but the names of the dead were recorded in the Mausoleum, allowing the living to at least feel a sense of connection with those beneath them," Tristan explained. "Only the caretakers were allowed to set foot in the Necropolis itself, but anyone could come and leave their respects at the plaques of the Mausoleum."
J.J. frowned deeply. "Did Gwen transport the entire Necropolis of Almencia here?" he asked in a low voice.
"Unlikely," Tristan admitted, looking thoughtful. "For one, disturbing the dead was a serious taboo in Almencian society. It would also be impractical, even considering what she transported here. The Necropolis extended for many miles beneath the surface of the island. Unless there is an even deeper subterranean level here…."
"There isn't," Abby confirmed, folding her arms over her chest. "But while we were playing around down here, we realized that this building – the Mausoleum – was some sort of burial chamber. When I was still wrapped up in my 'Queen of the Night' persona, I used to love coming down here," she added with a cynical chuckle. "I'll bet that we can probably find Zack inside."
"The Mausoleum wasn't at the top of your list of places we should check out?" J.J. asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was hoping he'd be somewhere else," Abby admitted. "It's a very enclosed space. You like to move around a lot when you fight, J.J., and you said Agnar's gotten even stronger. I thought that fighting in there would be the worst choice you could make right now."
"It likely is. But it is also not our decision to make," Tristan replied grimly. "If that is where Sir Agnar and Zack are, then it is where we must venture. Onwards."
J.J. led the way, warding off the ghostly images of the Almencians as they approached the Mausoleum. As they drew closer, he watched a shade phase through the solid bronze doors of the Mausoleum and briefly look around, a confused look on her face. However, she then seemed to recognize her surroundings, and a placid smile settled on her lips. She ignored the trio entirely as she wandered past them, making her way towards the central plaza of the city.
J.J. pushed the door open and stepped inside, gazing around warily. The Mausoleum was dimly lit by deep blue crystals ensconced on the walls that didn't even project enough light to fully illuminate the heavy, barrel-vaulted ceiling above them. The walls were carved out of black marble and interspersed with faded golden plaques bearing names written in Almencian runes. In the center of the room was a deep hole that had the start of a staircase, but the stairs abruptly ended a few feet into the soil. J.J. suspected that those were the stairs that had once led into the Necropolis.
A few shades were wandering around the enormous room, but otherwise the building appeared to be empty. Their footsteps echoed loudly off the dirty marble floors as J.J. led the way inside, peering around warily for any sign of Agnar or Zack. While they didn't spot the pair immediately, Tristan shushed the group and held a hand to his ear. J.J. and Abby both stopped walking and strained to hear as well. After a few moments of listening, they could hear voices echoing indistinctly above them.
Tristan pointed upwards, then motioned to a set of stairs leading to a second level. J.J. nodded and crept towards the stairs, waving his halberd to ward off a shade that was descending to their level. They slowly made their way up the stone steps and turned around to see Agnar, un-transformed, standing in front of to a floating form that J.J. recognized as Zack. Tristan came up beside him, and J.J. saw his eyes widen. Before Tristan could make a move, he quickly put a finger to his lips and shook his head.
"It seems we have located our quarry, though I had hoped that Sir Agnar would not be accompanying him," Tristan hissed.
"Please, we're never that lucky," J.J. murmured. He paused for a moment, considering his options, then added in a low voice, "Let's see where this is going before we move in. Maybe we'll figure out what they're doing." Tristan stared at him silently, then nodded after a few moments, turning back around to watch.
A Shard stood docile before the duo, its hollow eyes staring blankly at them. Agnar paced back and forth, his arms folded, as Zack reached his hand out and placed it on the Shard's head. His green eyes flickered as Agnar watched.
"We shall try this again," he said gruffly. "Now… tell me who this is."
"Servius Nuselli," Zack said in a dry whisper. "I see that he was a good-natured, boisterous man. As large as a bear, and twice as strong. I believe he was… a tavern keeper?"
As he spoke, a mass of smoky-grey shadows formed beside Zack, twisting and flickering wildly. Agnar glanced towards the dark clouds for a moment before returning his gaze to the floating specter, who was once again looking down.
"Very well," Agnar said curtly. "What else do you see? What was his appearance?"
"He was… a balding man," Zack said slowly. "Large, powerful arms… he wore a long tunic… there was a scar on his arm from a bar fight."
The more Zack spoke, the more tangible and defined the shadow become. Slowly, the flickering edges smoothed out and became a semi-solid figure. It gained shape and definition, and as Zack continued muttering to himself, features began to mold themselves onto the shade's body.
"He had plenty of hair all over his body. You could tell because he wore his sleeves rolled up," Zack continued, and the shadows grew thinner and more defined along his bare arms. "He also had a beard… a short one, that covered his chin, but not his cheeks."
"What of his personality?" Agnar asked.
"He…." Zack began. However, he hesitated as his looked away from the Shard towards the small group hovering at the top the stairs. Agnar followed his gaze, and his eyes narrowed as he saw the three interlopers. Growling with frustration, he stepped in front of Zack, dropping his hand to his Driver threateningly.
The shadow that Zack had been creating suddenly seemed to snap to life. It warily looked down at itself, turning its translucent hands over in confusion, before looking back up. Shaking its head, it slowly wandered down the stairs, ignored by almost everyone else in the Mausoleum. J.J. watched the shadow as it descended the stairs, but a moment later, he was distracted by the Shard suddenly charging at them, its arms outstretched. J.J. grit his teeth and waited for it to come closer before unceremoniously piercing it through the midsection with the point of his halberd. The Shard collapsed into a pile of ash, leaving nothing separating the two groups except for the heavy tension building in the air.
Zack was the first one to break the silence. "Abby?" he asked, floating forward slightly, one skeletal hand outstretched. "What are you doing down here?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Zack," Abby replied softly. "What's going on?"
Before Zack could answer, Agnar stepped in front of him, fury contorting his face. "What are any of you doing down here?!" he roared. He glared furiously at J.J., adding, "Even after I showed you mercy, you chose to spit in my face by so blatantly disregarding my terms?!"
"In my defense, you should know how stubborn Tristan is," J.J. pointed out. He caught Tristan jerking his head to glare at him out of the corner of his eye, and despite the serious atmosphere, he couldn't help but grin cheekily to himself behind his helmet.
"I must concede to that point," Agnar growled softly. "It would seem that I must retrain my former squire if he insists on making such foolhardy mistakes."
"You are not one to speak of foolhardy mistakes, Sir Agnar!" Tristan shouted back. He gestured around the Mausoleum with his good arm. "What disgrace is this?! Is this what you spoke of when you claimed that you would resurrect Almencia?! Do you truly believe a mere show of shadow puppetry is a viable substitute for the glories of our homeland?! Is this all that is left for you, wallowing amongst faded memories of the dead?!"
Agnar scoffed bitterly at Tristan's accusation. "If you believe this is the extent of what I intend to do to revive Almencia, then you are not only reckless, but foolish, Sir Tristan." He shook his head, putting his hand on his Driver and narrowing his eyes. "I have humored you long enough. Depart now, or I shall dispatch you both yet again."
"We don't really need to fight you," J.J. pointed out, glancing towards Zack. "We just need him to stop creating those ghosts."
"As though I would acquiesce to that request," Agnar snapped. "Zachary's creation of the shades does not threaten the city. They are not hostile and pose no danger to anyone who gives them a wide berth. Correct, Zachary?"
Zack nodded faintly, his chains rattling. "They're harmless as long as no one touches them," he said in a soft voice.
"So is a fire," J.J. shot back. "Yet we still put it out because it could spread, which makes it dangerous. An since you've already said you don't intend to stop making them, this is a fire that's going to keep spreading. But we can still resolve this peacefully. So, if you're willing to give up your D-former, Zack…."
"Impossible," Agnar snapped shortly. "Zachary, this conversation is fruitless, and will soon devolve into violence, as it always does. Remove yourself from here while I eliminate these interlopers. I shall retrieve you once they have been dispatched."
"Right…." Zack whispered. He began drifting down through the floor, and as his body started phasing through it, J.J. let out a soft curse and charged forward. As he got within range, however, Agnar suddenly pushed his black D-former into his sword trinket and slotted it into his Driver.
"Henshin," Agnar said in a low voice. A moment later, his Driver shouted in a deep voice that resounded through the Mausoleum, "Reroll! Prestige Class: Blackguard!" An obsidian crystal suddenly appeared around him, and J.J. let out a cry as he collided with the holographic shield and was thrown backwards. He rolled across the hard marble floor and groaned in pain as Tristan and Abby knelt down beside him, checking to see if he was alright.
From his position on the floor, he watched the opaque black die spin rapidly around Agnar, concealing him completely as a tuba played deep, somber notes. Once the spinning stopped, Agnar stood before them in his black plate armor, resting the tip of his blade on the ground and crossing his hands over the pommel of his sword.
"Are you injured, page?" Tristan asked, shaking J.J.'s shoulder.
"No…." J.J. groaned, slowly pushing himself up. "But that really wasn't fun. Is that what I've been doing to people?!"
"I am pleased that you are unharmed," Tristan commented, nonplussed. He stood up again and glared at Agnar, who watched them silently.
"Zack, stop!" Abby screamed over the edge of the railing, ignoring the knights. "We can talk about this! Don't run from us!"
"I'm sorry, Abby," a rattling voice replied from below. "But I can't stop now."
J.J. tilted his head slightly, trying to locate the source of the sound. Before Agnar could move, he suddenly leapt over the side of the stairs. He saw Zack floating below him, and J.J. steeled himself. The end of his halberd began shining with a bright, silvery light, and with a yell, he swung his blade through Zack's incorporeal form. A glowing gash appeared in his body, and Zack screamed in pain. He flew through the far wall just as Agnar jumped over the edge of the staircase, slashing at J.J. on the way down. Fortunately, J.J. saw the move coming and was able to easily side-step the attack. He pivoted, lowering his halberd in a defensive stance with the point of his weapon aimed directly at Agnar's chest.
As the two fighters began circling each other, Abby screamed, "J.J.! Why did you do that?!"
"To keep track of him!" J.J. shouted back. "I slashed him, so now we can find him once we're done here! First, though…." he added, narrowing his eyes at Agnar.
Despite his threat, Agnar made the first move, suddenly lunging at him. J.J. parried the blow, circling out of the way and taking several steps back to maintain his distance. The two resumed circling, feeling each other out with tentative jabs, though neither one closed in.
Abby watched the fight for a few moments, then suddenly turned and began bolting down the stairs. Agnar glanced at her and shifted to stop her, but J.J. mirrored his movement, cutting off his advance. As he did, he shouted over his shoulder, "Abby! What are you doing?!"
"You're busy!" Abby yelled back, continuing to hurry down the stairs. "So, I'm going to go find Zack and talk to him!"
"What?! No!" J.J. yelled. Agnar took that moment to jab at him, and with J.J.'s attention diverted, the blade sliced along his side. His armor deflected most of the blow, but he still grunted in pain as the blade ran along his hip.
"I know the underground, J.J.!" Abby insisted. "I can find him without getting caught by the ghosts or the Shards! And I know I can talk him out of this! I'm his friend after all! Please… we don't have a choice right now!"
J.J. hesitated, gritting his teeth in frustration. Agnar took that moment to slash at him again, but J.J. shifted out of the way, using the haft of his halberd to parry the blow, and then he moved up along Agnar's sword. He jabbed Agnar once with the point of his halberd before stepping back, tapping his fingers against the haft of his weapon as he tried to make a decision.
Agnar suddenly took the opportunity to slip around him and jump at the stairs. Fear gripped J.J. as he jumped after the black knight at a lower angle, just as Agnar swung his greatsword at Abby. At the last moment, J.J. managed to ram his shoulder into the knight, knocking him off-course. Still, his blade slammed into the stone stairs above Abby, and she screamed as she fell down the remaining few steps. Stone and dirt exploded from the point of impact, coating everyone in the area in a layer of fine white dust.
J.J. landed between Agnar and Abby, holding his halberd in a defensive stance in front of her. Agnar had been knocked to the ground from the force of J.J.'s attack, but he pushed himself up as though he hadn't even felt the collision. Once again, J.J. was unnerved by how quickly he was able to recover from anything that was thrown at him. He pushed that thought out of his mind, however, as he glanced over his shoulder at Abby for a second.
"You alright?" he asked tersely.
"Skinned knees… hurt my arm… doesn't feel broken," Abby grunted.
"Good. Alright… I don't like it, but we don't have much of a choice, and if you stay here, you're going to be a target. Go find Zack. We'll hold this guy off," J.J. said firmly.
"As though you stand a chance of doing so," Agnar scoffed. He held his blade with both hands in a high guard position, daring J.J. to come closer, but J.J. didn't take the bait, instead backing towards the door as he shepherded Abby out of the Mausoleum. Seeing that J.J. was more intent on guarding her escape than fighting, Agnar charged forward, swinging his sword down in a short arc as J.J. grit his teeth and raised his halberd, bracing himself to block the heavy attack.
Before the blow could make contact, however, Tristan jumped down from the upper level, shouting "Henshin!" as he did. His Driver appeared around his waist, and before he hit the ground, he slotted his shield into his belt buckle and gave his blue D-former a quick spin.
"Steel yourself! Class: Cavalier!" Tristan's Driver shouted. Before he hit the ground, a steel blue crystal appeared around him and began spinning rapidly. The die collided with Agnar's shoulder, knocking him backwards, though once again it didn't seem to do any damage. The die also seemed to cushion Tristan's fall, and he landed on his feet, apparently not feeling the impact of hitting the floor. Cymbals clashed loudly as he was encased in his steel blue suit of armor, and as he straightened up, he turned to slowly face Agnar. When the spinning stopped, he pressed the horse icon of his Driver, and as a braying neigh resounded through the hall, his lance appeared in a flash of golden light.
Agnar had already recovered from Tristan's blow and was waiting patiently for his transformation to end. He exhaled gustily as he stared past the pair at the door that Abby had fled through.
"Your defiance is futile," he said pointedly. "As I demonstrated during our last battle, even together you lack the strength to best me. At best, you are buying that girl just enough time to locate her friend, and even then, I highly doubt that she will be successful in her quest to restore Zachary to his previous state. He has no desire to do so, after all."
"You presume much," Tristan shot back.
"Do I? Perhaps," Agnar shrugged. "But if my domination of our last fight was any indication, it will matter little in a matter of moments. I simply need to dispatch you two, and then I can pursue her at my leisure."
"Come to think of it, where did you get that D-former?" J.J. asked, motioning to the black jewel lodged in his belt. "Did you murder someone else for it?"
Agnar let out a short, barking laugh. "This jewel? This is the jewel of my lord, the Black Seraph."
J.J. felt a shiver run down his spine, and beside him, Tristan straightened up slightly. "Indeed?" he asked softly.
"Come now, you cannot be too surprised," Agnar remarked. "If the White Seraph can grant her champion her jewel, surely the Black Seraph can do the same. I have always been his most loyal and capable servant, after all." He shifted his stance slightly, lowering his sword a bit. "And loath as I am to admit it, you both have become quite strong. Thus, my lord deemed it necessary to provide me with an additional tool to ensure that you do not remain a hindrance to his goals."
"I'm flattered," J.J. said drily. "You hear that, Tristan? We've been promoted from a thorn in Blake's side to a legitimate threat. We should throw a party to celebrate after we've saved Zack."
"You assume that you shall depart from this cavern victorious," Agnar sneered. "Very well. Come. Let us see, then, if the powers of the White Seraph and the ingenuity of Tristan's father can truly oppose the might of the Black Seraph."
Agnar suddenly darted in with his claymore raised. Tristan countered his sudden attack, jabbing at him with his spear. The point collided with Agnar's chest, knocking him backwards a step or two, but once he regained his balance, he seemed unfazed.
"What is with that armor?" J.J. growled, pointing his halberd at Agnar as he stood beside Tristan, forming an impromptu pike wall as Agnar began prowling in front of them, looking for an opening. "Even with Aurion, if you take a hit, you feel it, right?"
"Quite," Tristan murmured. The watched the black knight carefully, keeping Agnar at a distance with occasional jabs as they spoke to each other in clipped, hushed voices. "Though I do not believe his armor fully negates the damage we inflict."
J.J. glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "What're you thinking?"
"I wish to test something. Assist me for a moment," Tristan said. He suddenly darted in, jabbing at Agnar twice. Agnar avoided both attacks with some surprisingly quick footwork, but as J.J. followed up with a slash of his own, Agnar brought his sword up to block the attack. This gave Tristan an opening to step in and jab Agnar in the face with his spear. Agnar's head snapped backwards from the force of the blow, and he staggered back a few steps before regaining his balance. Tristan nodded to himself, seeming satisfied with his experiment.
"As I suspected," Tristan explained quickly. "While I do not doubt that Sir Agnar's armor does indeed have greater defense than his original suit, it does not make him impervious to our attacks. If that were the case, he would have no reason to fight us properly; he could recklessly charge at us with no regard for defense. Instead, I believe that he is simply able to ignore the pain from our attacks, though I suspect he still feels it to some degree. Consider this – if you were to brush against a wall walking by it, you might feel the impact, perhaps even some pain, but you would not be bothered by it. I believe that Sir Agnar's armor follows the same principle. Thus, while he may appear to be invulnerable, I suspect that if we continue to press our attack, we may yet prevail against his improved form. He is suffering damage, though he is able to ignore the pain we are inflicting."
"That's a bold theory," J.J. said warily, jabbing at Agnar with the point of his halberd to keep him at bay while they spoke. "What if you're wrong?"
"Then we are in mortal danger and our only recourse is to flee or surrender," Tristan replied simply. J.J. glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow behind his mask.
"Did you just get sarcastic with me?" J.J. laughed.
"It would seem your levity in dangerous situations is infectious, page," Tristan shrugged.
"So what's the plan?" J.J. asked. "Even if he's just ignoring the damage we do to him, the fact that he's shrugging it off is still a pain to deal with."
"Quite. And I do not relish the thought of leaving Lady Brooks in the tunnels alone, regardless of the trust you have placed in her," Tristan agreed. "Therefore…."
Tristan explained his plan in a low voice while the two continued to keep Agnar at bay. The black knight was clearly getting impatient, however. He suddenly raised his sword and charged in. Immediately, both spearpoints caught him in the chest, but he continued to press in, trying to get inside the range of their weapons.
J.J. stepped forward, getting as close to Agnar as possible. The black knight brought his sword down heavily, but J.J. stepped in even further, so that they were literally pressed against each other. Agnar's hilt came down heavily on his shoulder, and he grunted as Agnar basically punched him, but thankfully, the blade missed him entirely. Gritting his teeth at the throbbing pain in his arm, he dropped his hand down to his Driver and gave his blue D-former a spin.
"Reroll! Class: Thief!" his Driver shouted. A sapphire die erupted around him, and Agnar was tossed backwards as the holographic barrier appeared. It spun around J.J. rapidly as a saxophone played, and his armor softened and split into a dark blue leather jacket, and a scarf wound its way around his neck, while his halberd shrank and split into a pair of daggers.
Once the spinning stopped, J.J. stepped back, keeping his daggers in front of him, while Tristan crouched behind him, his shield raised and his spear leveled against the rim of it. Agnar stared at the pair of them for a moment, then let out a soft noise of annoyance from behind his helmet.
"Simple cooperation involving both short-range and long-range attacks, is it?" he scoffed. "An effective combination, to be sure, but I had expected a far more complex plan, particularly from you, page."
J.J. ignored him, keeping close to Tristan, while the knight braced his spear over J.J.'s shoulder. Agnar sighed, hefting his greatsword over his shoulder.
"Very well. Should I land even a single blow upon your light armor, Sir J.J., then defeating you shall be a triviality," Agnar shrugged. "And then I can dispose of Sir Tristan. Have at you, then!"
Agnar stepped in, bringing his sword up, but the moment he raised his guard, Tristan jabbed forcefully at him. The blow struck him in the arm, and while it didn't appear to do any damage, it did knock Agnar back a step. Agnar recovered, however and stepped in again. This time, he knocked aside Tristan's thrust, but as he closed in, J.J. ducked under his guard and jabbed him twice in the chest, then jumped back under Tristan's spear before Agnar could retaliate.
"Quite. This is how I expected you two to fight," Agnar nodded. "How dull."
Agnar lowered his sword into a more defensive stance. As Tristan jabbed at him again, he quickly parried the blow, then stepped back before J.J. could attack him. He swung his sword around in a short arc, and J.J. narrowly managed to lean backwards, the tip of Agnar's dark blade grazing his throat. A shiver ran through J.J.'s body, but he held his position. Agnar sneered, lowering his guard again and preparing for the next move.
"Now," Tristan whispered.
J.J. nodded, and Tristan took a step back as J.J. dropped his hand to his blue D-former and gave it a quick spin. A cry of "Critical!" echoed through the Mausoleum, and a sapphire gem briefly surrounded J.J. before disappearing. His body vanished with the crystal, though Agnar seemed unperturbed.
"Very well, now where shall-!" Agnar began, but he was interrupted as Tristan suddenly let out a savage yell and began jabbing at Agnar furiously. The black knight was caught off-guard by the sudden assault, though he was able to parry the blows with little difficulty. In the meantime, J.J. got close to Agnar, clinging to him while waiting for his Critical to end.
Agnar suddenly brought his sword up and swung it down furiously at Tristan, letting out a short growl. The blue knight stepped back, and Agnar swung around. "A futile distraction," he muttered. "Now, Sir J.J. shall appear behind me…."
At that moment, J.J. did indeed reappear. Had Agnar not moved, J.J. would have been standing right in front of him, but because he turned around, his back was exposed. J.J. was crouched low, gripping his dagger tightly in one hand, and he quickly used the other to spin his blue D-former the other way.
"Critical!" his Driver shouted again, and a blue gem once more appeared around him before coalescing around his dagger, enveloping it in a cobalt light. Agnar couldn't turn back around in time, and J.J. let out a short yell as he plunged the dagger between the plates in Agnar's leg. The blade pierced his black bodysuit, and J.J. twisted the knife before jumping back, not allowing Agnar the chance to retaliate.
Agnar didn't cry out, but his leg immediately crumpled beneath him, and he dropped to one knee. J.J. wasn't sure if it was due to the numbing poison of his alternate Thief Class Critical, or if he had damaged a muscle in the black knight's leg. Regardless, Agnar was rendered almost immobile and was left staring coldly up at J.J. through his dark faceplate.
"Clever, page," Tristan praised him. "I had thought you would strike him from behind as well."
"Pulling the same trick too many times gets predictable," J.J. replied with a shrug. "Now we can finish him."
"I can," Tristan corrected him. J.J. frowned at him from behind his faceplate as Tristan explained, "You pursue Lady Brooks. While I do not believe your trust in her is misplaced, it would be prudent to ensure that no harm has befallen her in her quest to seek out Zack."
"You sure?" J.J. asked, eyeing Agnar warily. "My poison isn't going to last forever."
"All the more reason you should make haste, then." Tristan replied firmly, dropping his hand to his Driver. "I shall join you shortly. I swear it."
J.J. hesitated for a moment longer, but when Tristan glared at him from behind his helmet, he nodded and dashed past Agnar, running out into the open cavern. As he did, he pulled his diary off his belt, reverting to Adventurer Class in the process.
Clicking his sword down into its quill form, he hastily flipped his diary to a blank page and wrote the word "Ghost." The word didn't elicit a reaction from his quill, so after a moment's thought, he tried "Wraith" instead. His pen immediately began scribbling furiously on the page, while J.J. bounced impatiently on his toes. While he was pleased that his diary was now so quick that he could have almost instantaneous data on a Diemon, seconds were precious. He could hear the clashing of metal ringing off the walls of the Mausoleum, and he grit his teeth.
"Forget honor for once, Tristan. Don't get in his range, just shoot him," he muttered.
His quill abruptly stopped writing, and as soon as it did, his diary began vibrating. J.J. spun on the spot, using his diary like a compass and gauging how violently it was vibrating, and then he took off to the south.
He sprinted past the swarms of shadows, some of which stared at him in confusion while others reached out towards him. J.J. tried to avoid their ghostly hands, but occasionally, one managed to touch him. He gasped as their cold fingers slipped through his armor passed through his arm, seeming to brush against his very bones.
Individually, the ghosts were doing little damage, but there were so many of them, and he couldn't avoid them all, especially as the crowd grew thicker. Gritting his teeth, he moved as quickly as he could while avoiding as many of the ghosts as possible, but inevitably some touched him. He felt as though he was running through a blizzard without a coat, and when he finally emerged on the other side, he let out a sigh of relief as the cold, clammy feeling finally dissipated.
J.J. paused for a moment to glance down at his diary again, but as he did, he noticed that amber lines were running up his gloved hand. He watched in horror as his suit suddenly disappeared in a shower of fractals, leaving him exposed. Panic gripped him as he hastily flipped to his stat sheet and saw that his health bar was empty. He must have taken more damage than he'd thought, both from Agnar and the gauntlet of ghosts he'd had to run through.
Growling in frustration, he snapped his diary shut and once again took off at a run, trying to find Abby as quickly as he could. He panted as he darted along the cobblestone streets and followed the vibrations of his diary into a back alleyway. Abruptly, he skidded to a halt when he saw Abby standing near a wall, with Zack floating in front of her, his back to her.
"Please, Zack, just listen to me!" Abby pleaded to him. J.J. ducked behind the wall of a house and peeked around the corner, keeping his hand on his blade. Part of him wanted to rush in and take Zack down right there, to put an end to this mess. However, he knew that without having access to Paladin Class, Mage Class, or Loremaster Class, he had no way of attacking an intangible Diemon. What's more… he had promised to give Abby a chance to talk him down. Zack hadn't yet reached Apotheosis, so there was still a chance she could get through to him. It was his only hope at the moment, he realized, much to his chagrin.
"I've always listened to you, Abby," Zack replied airily.
"No. You've heard me, but you've never listened," Abby shot back. "I've been telling you for weeks, you can't change what's already happened."
"I know that I can't," Zack replied with an indifferent shrug. However, J.J. thought that he sounded a bit defensive. "That's why I'm not trying to change the past. I'm trying to give those that had their past denied to them a chance at a future."
"Is that what you think this is?!" Abby snapped. "These ghosts… how do you even know who they were?"
"It's the power the man in black gave to me," Zack replied, his voice brimming with conviction. "Even the poor souls that became the Shards… I can see who they once were. I can bring them back! With my power, they have a second chance! They can live the lives that were stolen from them!"
"Really?" Abby retorted. "Have you seen the ghosts trying to fit in with the modern world?! They look totally lost! Even if they weren't already scaring the daylights out of everyone up there, it's obvious that even they know they don't belong! And what about the ones down here? Do you think they're happy, wandering around broken ruins? Even though they look like they fit in better, they're probably even more lost, since it seems like you've pulled the wool over their eyes!"
"Okay, yes, they still need some work," Zack conceded. "But that's why I'm trying to improve, to provide them with as many memories as I can pull from them. And I'm getting better! Plus, the man in black told me that eventually I'll be able to recreate buildings, scenery… I can let them live in the world they deserve!"
"A shadow world, where nothing is real?" Abby asked. "That's not a world I want to live in."
"That's why I've been trying to ask you for help in world-building! It's why I wanted to meet your friend, to get his thoughts on how to make fiction a reality!" Zack insisted. "I want to make it as real as possible! I want to build a world that's better than this one!"
"Any world you try to create is going to be a sham, Zack!" Abby cried.
"It has to be better than this one!" Zack yelled. "Our world is terrible! What kind of world lets the greedy and powerful lord over everyone else?! Where justice is reserved for those that pay for it, rather than those who deserve it?! Who wants to live in a world where we're constantly under attack, fearing for our lives?! Where we could have our future stolen from us at any moment!"
"Dammit, Zack, doing this isn't going to save your sister!" Abby shouted.
A heavy silence settled over the area, and J.J. held his breath, his heart pounding. Zack was silent, floating in front of her while glaring down at her with his narrowed green eyes.
"I can try," he hissed.
"You're working for the people that put her in a coma in the first place!" Abby exclaimed. "You know damn well those monsters that attacked her are under the control of the people who gave you your powers! And now you want to help them?!"
"Of course not!" Zack snapped. "I'm not helping them! Not really. But the Shards that Agnar told me about? I pity them. They're just poor souls that had their futures taken before their time. They deserve to have another chance at life. Just like Sara. So, yeah, I'm using the powers they gave me, but I'm using them for a good reason! And that's more than you can say!" he added in a low hiss. "Who are you to try to call me out for this?! You enslaved us and warped our minds just so you could pretend we were your friends!"
Abby slowly closed her mouth, looking down as she folded her arms behind her back. "Yeah. I did," she murmured. "I used you guys, and nothing I do will ever erase that." She then looked up and added, "And for that, I'm sorry. But I can also tell you that if you use these powers, even with good intentions, you're only going to hurt yourself and the people around you." She stepped a bit closer to him, holding her hand out. J.J. held his breath, wondering if she was going to touch him, but she stopped short. "And I don't want you to do that, because even though I used you at first, we've become genuine friends. I care about you, Zack, and I don't want you to lock yourself away in this… shadow of the real world. I tried living in a make-believe scenario, and all it did was hurt the people around me… and myself. So, please… come with me. You don't have to make up your own fantasy world when the real world is waiting for you. And if you want to change that world for the better, I'll be right there to help you."
Zack hesitated for several long moments, looking down. He then looked up and inhaled, as though he was about to say something. However, as he did, a loud yell resounded through the caverns, distracting all three of them. J.J. turned around just in time as Agnar raised his sword and slashed at him. J.J. barely managed to duck under the blow, and the sword struck the wall he'd been hiding behind, cleaving a deep gash through the stone. J.J. stumbled out of the way, brandishing his own saber, his heart racing with fear. He knew he didn't stand a chance against Agnar unless he transformed, but even if he couldn't, he was going to go down swinging.
"Still taking shots at people when they have their backs turned, Agnar?" J.J. taunted, though there was a definite quaver to his voice. "How very knightly." He then paused, realizing something that caused icy dread to pool in his stomach. "Where's Tristan?"
Agnar ignored him, limping past him towards Abby and Zack. J.J. swore under his breath, realizing that Agnar's true reason for attacking him had been to distract them before Abby's words got through to Zack. "You still wish to change the world for the better, Zachary?" Agnar asked. "That is a noble goal, and I am pleased that you have not lost sight of it. When you told my lord that was your dream, I can assure you that he was ecstatic, as your goals and his align perfectly."
"What do you mean?" Zack asked softly, his green eyes flickering under his hood.
J.J. sucked his breath in, his heart pounding. Against his better judgment, he took two steps in, thrusting towards Agnar's unprotected back, trying to distract him. The blade slammed into his armor, but didn't pierce the dark metal. Agnar only lurched forward a half-step from the impact, and it clearly did very little damage. With a sigh, he turned and backhanded J.J. across the face. The hard metal of his gauntlet collided with J.J.'s cheek, and he would later realize that he was lucky none of his teeth had been knocked out from the blow. He was sent sprawling across the ground, dazed and groaning, unable to move.
"J.J.!" Abby yelled.
"Now who is acting unknightly, Sir J.J.?" Agnar's voice echoed in his ringing ears. "Do not interfere." He turned his attention back to Zack, pushing Abby firmly out of the way to address him. He swept his arm around as he explained, "What you see around you, as I told you, are the destroyed remnants of Almencia, once the greatest kingdom on Earth. It was destroyed in a tragedy, with thousands of lives lost because of one man's foolishness. It has weighed heavily on my mind for many years, and my lord has sworn that he will restore it to its rightful glory. So, you see… his goals and yours are one and the same."
Zack hesitated, looking down slowly. "He said he wanted me to build a better world. Is this what he meant?"
"I believe so," Agnar admitted. "I do not fully understand how he will do so, but I do know that his desire is sincere, that he wishes to create the paradise that was denied to the world. And I know that he requires your help to complete it."
Zack slowly looked up again. Abby stood beside Agnar, shaking her head pleadingly. "And my sister?" Zack asked finally.
"The healers tending to your sister do so because my lord has ensured this town can employ them. Thus, he cares for your sister's life just as he does everyone else in this city," Agnar replied. "She will live to enjoy this new world. You have my word."
Zack looked down again, tapping his fingers against his chains. Finally, in a soft voice, he murmured, "What must I do?"
Agnar straightened up slightly as Abby rushed forward with a short, "No!" He grabbed her and pushed her back, sending her reeling into a nearby wall.
"Simply focus upon what it is you wish to do… and say it, believing in your role with all your heart," Agnar explained.
Zack straightened up, and both J.J. and Abby watched helplessly as he replied, "I wish… no… I will build a better world!"
Zack's body suddenly seized up, and he let out a wailing howl as shimmering, ash grey lines began snaking up his body. His form seemed to become more corporeal, and the glowing eyes under his hood became bright balls of green flame. J.J. grit his teeth as he tried to push himself up, recognizing the telltale signs of someone achieving Apotheosis.
"No!" he grunted as Zack's Apotheosis was completed, and he floated silently in front of Agnar, a low, guttural rattle escaping his throat. Agnar nodded once, taking three more steps towards the floating specter.
"And aid in creating a new world you shall," Agnar said. He dropped his hand to his belt, and he gave his black D-former a quick spin.
"Critical!" his Driver shouted. A black die briefly enveloped him, which then collapsed around Agnar's sword. It began glowing with a sinister light, white nearest to the blade and extending out into flickering black flames. Agnar took two steps closer to Zack, then slashed him vertically down the center. A glowing line was carved through his body as Agnar shifted his grip and slashed him horizontally as well. He then twisted his wrists and slashed him two more times, diagonally. Agnar then pointed his blade at Zack's torso and stabbed him with the blade, the point piercing through the glowing marks he'd slashed across Zack's body.
The wraith was silent as the shining grey lines spread across its body grew brighter, and then all at once Zack disappeared in a shower of ashen fractals. Abby screamed as his stat sheet fluttered to the ground, while a glowing ash-grey D-former bounced across the stony floor and rolled to a stop at Agnar's feet.
J.J. watched in stunned silence, disgust and despair gripping him as the weight of another failure settled over him. Abby dropped to her knees, crying, as Agnar silently reached down and impassively scooped up the glowing D-former.
"Now then," he said, almost casually, turning to face the other two as he laid his sword over his shoulder.
J.J. struggled to his feet and staggered in front of Abby, brandishing his blade in a fencing stance. Abby knelt behind him, tears still running down her face, while Agnar stared down at J.J. silently.
"Your courage is to be commended, Sir J.J.," Agnar praised him. "However, I cannot permit you to hinder my lord's plans any longer."
J.J. grit his teeth as Agnar angled his blade for a horizontal slash. At that moment, however, a golden crossbow bolt flew over his shoulder and slammed into Agnar's hand. His grip on his blade loosened, and he almost dropped it. J.J. blinked in surprise, then turned and grabbed Abby's hand, pulling her away from the knight just as Tristan shouted at them, "Move!"
Agnar almost leisurely reached down to scoop up his sword as Tristan charged forward, pressing the bull icon of his Driver. A loud bovine bellow echoed in the chamber, and before Agnar could recover, he slammed his mace into the walls of the buildings on either side of the alleyway they were in. The ancient, weakened stone began crumbling around Agnar, who looked up in surprise as Tristan backed away. He pinned Tristan with an accusing stare as the blue knight hurried out of the alley and motioned for J.J. and Abby to run.
The walls began falling around the black knight as the trio hurried away from the falling bricks. J.J. knew that it was only a distraction, that Agnar would claw his way out of the rubble shortly, but the collapsing building would at least give them enough time to escape. He wanted to ask Tristan what had happened, but he decided to save it for later.
As they ran behind Tristan, J.J. cast a sidelong glance at Abby. Her eyes were still red, and her cheeks were wet. She drew her arm across her face to wipe her tears away, though she was continued sobbing as they ran. Guilt, remorse, and helplessness gripped J.J.'s heart as he looked away, forcing himself to focus on their escape. It was a good distraction that kept him from thinking about how his weakness had hurt one of his friends yet again, and cost someone else their life.
"How's your arm?" J.J. asked a couple of days later as he walked with Tristan down one of the residential areas of Marville.
"Healing, though sadly still not yet at the point where I can hold my shield comfortably," Tristan admitted. "And your jaw?"
"Still hurts to chew. I've been eating eggs and soup since our last fight," J.J. replied with a sigh. "Thank you for saving us, by the way. Why'd Agnar leave you alone like that? I was worried he'd killed you; otherwise, he wouldn't have come after us."
"There is no need to thank me," Tristan replied. "During our fight, he struck me in the head, and I was briefly rendered unconscious, though I do not believe it was longer than a few moments. When I came to, he had departed. I believe that his priority was ensuring that he retrieved another D-former for his lord, rather than seeing to our defeat."
"So glad to see that he's got his priorities in order, at least, if killing us is second on his list," J.J. sighed. "Unless that means that he just doesn't see us as enough of a threat to prioritize killing us when he has the chance."
"You may be right," Agnar murmured, folding his arms over his chest. "And I have been unable to devise a way to obtain more strength. Training only yields so many results, I am afraid. What's more, I have no doubt that Sir Agnar is continuing to train as well, even with his improved armor."
"So basically, we're screwed," J.J. muttered.
"Not necessarily," Tristan replied. "Victory eludes us at present, but that does not mean we are doomed to suffer unending defeats."
"That's surprisingly optimistic of you," J.J. remarked.
"One has to be during dark times," Tristan replied grimly. "For now, however, we must accept the reality that we are outmatched, and endeavor to dispatch Diemons as quickly as possible, so as to prevent… further tragedies."
"Don't," J.J. said through clenched teeth. Tristan nodded, falling silent.
The two turned up a familiar driveway, and J.J knocked on the door. After a few moments, Abby's mother opened the door and stared at them in surprise.
"J.J., right?" she asked. "And…?"
"Sir Tristan," Tristan replied. J.J. smacked his forehead as Abby's mother stared at him.
"Right…." she said slowly, trailing the word. "Uh… Abby's in her room, but she's not talking to anyone. If you wanted to come in and try…."
"Please," J.J. nodded. She stepped aside, allowing them in, and she led them to the black door that led into Abby's room. Tentatively, she knocked on the door with the back of her hand.
"Abby?" she called. "Your friends J.J. and Tristan are here."
Silence hovered in the air for several long moments, and then the door slowly opened. Abby peeked her head out, her stringy, dark hair falling into her bloodshot eyes. In a voice that was almost a whisper, she said, "Come in."
Abby's mother gave her a look of surprise as the two men slipped through the open door. "I'll… get you all some lemonade," she said after a moment, shaking her head as Abby closed the door.
The girl was dressed in a long nightshirt and shorts, and as she crawled onto her bed, J.J. noticed that there were several crumpled, tear-stained tissues littering her nightstand. He walked over to her dresser and leaned against it, folding his arms over his chest.
"We just came to check on you," he said softly.
"I'm… actually doing a little better," Abby murmured, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. "Though I still don't want to eat anything."
"Believe me, I know," J.J. replied quietly. He sighed as he looked up. "Abby, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."
"As am I," Tristan nodded.
Abby stared at them, shaking her head slowly. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered.
"Nor was it yours," J.J. replied. "And I also wanted to tell you how proud of you I am. You showed a lot of courage, and a lot of compassion. What you said to him… it moved me. You've really changed, in a good way."
Abby smiled bleakly for a moment, but didn't meet his eyes. "But it didn't matter in the end," she whispered. She then looked up before either one of them could reply. "Though I decided on something."
"And what's that?" J.J. asked gently.
"I… don't ever want to be that helpless again. I don't want to wonder if I could have done something else to save someone. And I found that… I kind of liked trying to help others. So… I'm going to start looking into doing something about it," she explained.
J.J. smiled lightly, amused. "Are you looking to become a Kamen Rider yourself?" he asked playfully.
Abby shook her head. "No. That's not who I am. But you two said that I had a good sense of direction, and I enjoy exploring. I'm thinking… I might get into something like orienteering, or search and rescue. A job where I can use my talents to help people."
J.J. smiled warmly down at her, nodding encouragingly. "I think that's an excellent idea," he said, and Tristan nodded in agreement off to the side. "I'm glad that you at least got something positive out of this whole mess."
"You can say that," she whispered. "But I wish Zack didn't have to die for me to realize it."
J.J.'s smile faded, and he looked away. "I know. But we're going to do everything we can to ensure that no one else has to suffer like that."
"Really?" Abby asked quietly. "Agnar had you two on the ropes the entire time. You were helpless when you fought him. So… while those are pretty words… what are you two actually going to do?"
J.J. and Agnar traded looks, then glanced away from each other. Silence hung in the air, neither Rider able to meet her eyes, or answer her.